People punished for mining accident in Anhui

A total of 37 people, including local officials, have been punished for a gas explosion at a coal mine in eastern China’s Anhui province, the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a press release on Sunday.

The accident, which occurred on March 11 in the provincial city of Fuyang, killed nine people and injured 15 others, causing immediate economic losses of 16.37 million yuan ($2.25 million).

The Anhui office of the National Mining Safety Administration released an investigation report into the accident on Wednesday.

On March 8, a minor gas explosion occurred among workers at the coal mine, injuring two workers, the report said.

After some measures were taken, production resumed at the site the following day, when a flame was discovered again.

However, on March 10, an unusual situation arose when the mining company decided to seal the mining front with concrete.

On March 11, when sealing work was almost completed, a massive explosion occurred. Seven workers died after being lifted out of the mine that day. Two more missing people were found dead on March 27, the report said.

The accident was initially due to inadequate gas control. The measures taken subsequently did not effectively eliminate the ignition source. There were also problems in containing the fire zone and evacuating personnel, the report states.

The punishments included disciplinary and administrative sanctions from the party, fines, and the suspension or withdrawal of their production and management safety certificates, the report said.